


Book One: The Water Jewel

by Vexicle



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, Adventure, Angst, Fantasy, Fluff, Gen, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2019-02-17 01:26:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 12,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13066254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vexicle/pseuds/Vexicle
Summary: The Elements are missing, and all around Ekcle, Elemental storms are happening. Jeclisse and her friends must find them and bring them back. Oh, and it's a race against the clock as well. Fun.





	1. Chapter 1

**Jeclisse**

The Elements are gone—been gone for millenniums now. No one knows why, when, or how it happened. They just disappeared. That's why all these disasters are happening, like the one I'm in now. Thanks a lot, Elements. Nice time to go missing.

"Fly, Jeclisse, fly!" Mother screeches over the wind. This windstorm is one of the worst I have seen in my time, swirling winds threatening to devour everything.

Well, I can't exactly do anything, since the high waves are attempting to drag me under. I'm so cold, so cold. Cold from the water, and fear. My eyes sting. Up, down, left, right…which way is up? I can't keep going on like this, or I'll drown or be caught in the windstorm. I try to spread my pink wings and give them a flap, but then a huge wave catches me by surprise and tosses me back into the sea. The sheer impact stuns me for a few moments.

Recovering, I splash around and my head momentarily breaks the surface. I manage to draw a quick breath before I sink again. The water is not clean. It gets in my mouth and it tastes horrible, but since my cyan eyes are shut I don't know what the dirty stuff is. Not that I want to know.

The clouds also chose a perfectly good moment to piss. So now, I'm being pummelled by water from above, while also being surrounded by it. Not to mention that my pink fur is absorbing all of that water and weighing me down. I flail around in the wide open sea, even beating my wings against the water like paddles, but it's no good. The currents are too strong, and they just keep pulling me down, down, down. Water fills my lungs, and I try to resurface again, but it's no good.

I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die…

"Jeclisse!" Suddenly, teeth meet in my neck, and Mother hauls me out of the water. I don't know how she does it, but then again, I'm only a half-grown Yirin. I must not weigh that much. Faintly, I hear the screams of fellow Yirin as I cough repeatedly, trying to get water out of my lungs. My ears are clogged with water.

Mother still has me by the scruff of my neck, and is doing her best to drag the both of us away from the violently rotating column of air. I give another cough, shake out my wings, and break away from Mother to fly on my own. Mother's wing tips brush mine, and I know she will guide me.

Unfortunately, the windstorm conveniently decides that it wants to journey out of its home and explore its new surroundings. It inches closer. At least it grows weaker as it moves away from the Byadau Sea. Now, how long do windstorms last? Well, it had better end soon!

To make things worse, high waves have invaded my homeland, drowning the young Yirin who haven't grown wings yet, and the elderly who can't fly anymore due to a lack of feathers.

As far as I know, Father is already dead. He was never a fast flier, and he didn't manage to take off in time. My situation isn't much better. Try flying away from a windstorm while avoiding the high waves. I grit my teeth and flap my wings harder.

I prick up my ears. The gales' roaring sounds are softer. The windstorm must be stopping. But I don't slacken my pace. Not just yet.

Only when the roaring truly goes away and the rain stops falling on me do I look back over my bony, sharp shoulder. The windstorm has all but disappeared, leaving behind mass destruction in its wake. Also, the waves have flooded Yimori, my home. I lower my wings and angle downwards, folding my wings as I land. I crouch on the wet grass, panting heavily. I'm strong physically, but almost drowning takes most of the fight out of you.

Mother does the same and lands. She bows her head and whispers, "Hinstre."

Father's name.

Suddenly, I find it harder to breathe. I lower my ears, unfolding my left wing to wrap it around Mother's body. Tears trickle down my cheeks, something which I don't like feeling. Jeclisse doesn't cry.

Mother and I look almost identical standing together—same fur gradient, same height, same amount of liquid loss. Except, Mother's eyes are golden yellow.

I wonder after a while of silent crying if Father could still be alive. It seems possible. We never actually saw him die...

Oh, who am I kidding? Yirin don't swim, especially in rough waters. He would have drowned. Or got torn apart by the rotating air.

But still, there is nothing to stop me from hoping as Mother and I stand back up and spread our wings, flying back to the sea. Mother doesn't say anything, so neither do I. The silence is welcome.

Finally the Byadau Sea comes into sight, and I dive down in search of Father—or his body. Some Yirin are circling overhead the now calm waters, seeing if another windstorm will happen. I'm not sure if that's possible.

Others are hovering over the watery mess, looking for other Yirin, for signs of life from the bodies. I hope it isn't too late to squeeze water out of their lungs.

I don't feel like touching the watery grass, so I hover above it, allowing my body to lose some altitude before flapping my pink wings and propelling myself up again. Repeat as many times as needed.

"Father?" I try calling, looking for a silver-gray furry-and-feathery bundle. No response. Mother, behind me, looks dead. She slouches in the air, flapping her wings slowly. I know she just wants to lie down and grieve, but she doesn't like wet paws either. Also, she must find Father first, dead or alive.

I circle the edge of the sea. I can see a yellow-golden Yirin whispering last words to her dead friend. I flick my ears, eyes widening. She's one of my best friends, Clunmir! And that green-yellow body...

I know that Yirin.

"Krinkaw!" I call urgently. "No!"

Clunmir turns to me and shakes her head. "He's dead, Jeclisse. It's too late."

I growl, and Clunmir does her best to comfort me, and herself, by brushing her pelt against mine, but it doesn't help much.

I kick a nearby tree in frustration, surprising Clunmir, who flinches away. It has already been uprooted by the strong winds, and with my strength, it's easily flung over the watery mess. Other Yirin dodge it, then spin around and give me dirty looks.

"Sorry," I mutter crossly, too angry to care. Krinkaw didn't deserve this. We didn't deserve this. "Where're your parents, Clunmir?"

She points her ox-bow legs to her right. I look with her, and sure enough, see two yellow-gold Yirin hovering over another dead bundle of fur and feathers. "They're grieving for Aunt Alkicrick," Clunmir murmurs, voice deep with sorrow.

Mother pats Clunmir's shoulder. She is quite fond of all my friends. I used to bring them to my place to hang out, but I'm pretty sure that my home is destroyed now, bricks scattered all over the place.

"I have to find Father," I say after a while of just hovering there. I know it's hopeless, but I can't help clinging to the faint hope that he's still alive. After all, if he isn't a spirit yet, he would be shooting across the sky, trying to find us and assure us of his safety. But I haven't seen a trace of him.

But I press on anyway, flitting around and trying to spot a silver-gray Yirin. He's the only Yirin to have that fur gradient. His parents died in a firestorm.

Elemental storms, everywhere. When will it all end?

"Good luck!" Clunmir calls after me and Mother. She wants to stay here, near her remaining family and Krinkaw. I flick my ear in response.

After what seems like hours, I finally come across a bundle of waterlogged fur. I hover just above him. His eyes are wide open in terror, silver-gray wings half folded. Without missing a wing-beat, I reach down and close his eyes.

"Goodbye, Father," I whisper.

Mother looks forlornly at his corpse, and tears threaten to spill out of her eyes again.

Well, it's official.

Whoever or whatever took the Elements is a bitch.


	2. Chapter 2

**Nallis**

Arcleaf, Asroloan, Blibuds...

"Nallis!"

Bonordou, Buiadily, Carimani...

"Nallis!"

Clutima, Cilum-Hey wait, that's not right.

"Nallis! Quit doing your plant stuff!" an exasperated voice yells, interrupting my silent enumerating. This voice is accompanied by a creature with a light apricot coat. Her wavy falu red hair looks a mess, like it usually does. Sunlight strikes the reddish-brown strands and turns it to flame.

I sigh and close my eyes briefly. "All right, Silaraas, no need to get so agitated."

"Yes, I do!" Silaraas insists. "There was a recent windstorm in Yimori! We need to help them! They must be frantic!"

My eyes snap open and I turn my head to face Silaraas. "Oh, my! Are they alright? Let's go!" I ejaculate.

However, first, I levitate the Cilum plant pot in between the Carimani and Clutima pots. It is not an easy task. Each pot is twice the size I am, and therefore it takes a great deal of energy to move just one. This is no mean feat.

When I'm done, I step back and nod my approval. Perfect.

Silaraas sighs good-naturedly. "Hurry up, bro."

"Fine, fine," I murmur, heading after her and out the door of my garden.

"Going somewhere, kids?" Mother asks, spotting us racing through the house. I'm fond of the way she still calls us kids, even though we're fully grown. We might be adults, but we're still her kids, and always will be.

"No flying in the house, Silaraas!" Father scolds, swishing his lime-and-violet tail.

"Okay, okay, sorry. But Nalls is being really slow," she complains, but she lands on all fours anyway.

"We're going to Yimori," I call back as I run along the stone floor. I look back over my shoulder just before opening the wooden door, watching my parent's reactions.

Father's lavender-and-gray eyes-my eyes-widen. "Oh, yes. Hurry along. You mustn't waste time. We're coming with you, too."

"Alright, thanks!" Silaraas calls for me as I push open the door and run outside, now racing along the open meadow. Exhilarated at being out of the house, Silaraas soars upwards on pale orange wings. I suppose that nothing can keep her on the ground for long.

I watch her up there as our parents join her in the sky. I don't really want to join them. I prefer to be racing along the ground, feeling the really short tufts of grass underpaw. They're a special kind of grass-they have to be short, or they'll grow so tall that Pintor can get lost in them. Finally, I skid to a halt in front of a large group of Pintor.

Suddenly, I feel smaller than I already am. I glance around at them, then look down, and I pull my wings in even tighter.

"Hey, Nallis," I hear. I look up to see the patrol leader, Grynary, relief in his umber and olive eyes, which are a strange combination. We are acquainted, so he recognises me. "We need your healing talent. Thanks for coming."

I smile sheepishly at him and nod. I am somewhat known throughout Pinfre for my healing skills, said skills being a direct benefit of being a leafbundle. I try to keep a low profile, but it's not that easy. Now, everyone has at least heard of me and know my name.

My parents edge over to me and brush against my gray pelt, and I relax a little. Grynary turns to the other Pintor. "Alright, team. It's three hours to Yimori from Pinfre. Anyone needs to go to the toilet?" The patrol leader asks in a no-nonsense tone. He is usually laid-back, but he can be strict if he wants to be.

Nobody moves, not even twitching an eyelid. I stare back at Grynary.

"Great. So then, let's leave!" He turns around and spreads his wings. Every other Pintor does the same. I am one of the last in the group, and I do a running start in order to catch up to them.

While in the air, Silaraas falls back in order to chat with me. Our relatively small wingspans allow us to fly almost next to each other. My parents aren't really beside me anymore. They are talking to each other behind me in hushed voices.

"How you feeling, Nalls?" Silaraas queries.

She knows me too well. "Nervous," I admit. Will the Yirin like me? I do not think that I have been to Yimori in the past century. I wonder if any remember me, or are still alive.

Silaraas smiles encouragingly. Nothing more needs to be said. That is what siblings are for.

Feeling awkward, I search for something to do and settle for brushing my light pink, green and blue hair out of my eyes.

"I'm bored," some Pintor complain after a while, and start to converse about everyday topics. I remain silent, listening to them. It isn't as if I make a lot of noise anyway.

"Did you hear? The price of slinkers has gone up! Twenty gold pieces each!"

"Yesterday, I was walking along, and I fell into this huge gaping hole..."

"Check out this trick I've been practicing!" This particular Pintor proceeds to do a flip in mid-air, a whirlwind of yellow. He also then proceeds to slam into Grynary.

He glares at that Pintor, who hastily retreats back to his former position in the squad. "Stop fooling around!" he orders. Like I said, he can be commanding if he wants to.

That Pintor flinches, training his magenta-and-pink eyes on the ground. He concentrates on just flapping his wings after that. No more tricks for him.

The rest of the flight passes silently. No one dares to defy the patrol leader, even though he seems calm now.

A Pintor's wings are actually very strong-I only feel a little tired as I land in Yimori, near a sea, and I don't even fly that much. I spin around, checking out my surroundings. We Pintor are so small, the wild grass towers over us. Some first-comers stare up at it with wide eyes.

The ground beneath my slender legs feels really wet. In the three and a half hours since the windstorm happened, the ground has almost dried up, but not completely. I pad along, the ends of my legs leaving miniscule triangular-shaped prints in the ground. My paws are pointy like that.

"Team!" commands Grynary loudly. My triangular ears are already folded, but I can still hear him loud and clear. A little too loud and clear, perhaps.

"Spread out! Try to help out! Pinfre and Yimori are on good terms, so we must maintain that peace! Try to help repair the damage around here! Levitate, heal, whatever! Now go out there and help!" he booms.

All the Pintor seem relieved that they do not have to stay among the tall grass anymore as they lift off into the air, separating into teams of two and three. Silaraas joins me.

"I think I should help comfort them," I tell her. And maybe give them something for the shock of loss. Gee, how lucky the Pintor are to be immortal. It sure reduces the chance of death. I have never seen anyone close to me die and I hope I won't ever.

Silaraas shrugs. Clearly she has no preference of what to do and just tagged along with me to give me support, instead of going off with her friends.

I love her.

Down below, I see two pink Yirin pulling a silver-gray one along, their ox-bow legs making pawprints in the mud, pawprints the size of us. The silver-gray Yirin has an empty look in his cyan eyes. He is dead.

Oh, wow. I have forgotten how massive they are next to Pintor. We fly down and hover next to the two still-alive Yirin. "Can I help with that?" I offer. Silaraas nods, her yellow-and-amber eyes flashing.

The Yirin with yellow eyes nods gratefully, but the younger one snarls, "Go away!"

I exchange looks with Silaraas. I suppose that Yirin must be grieving. I understand. It is normal.

"Jeclisse," says Yellow Eyes warningly. "Don't be rude."

Jeclisse shrugs her bony shoulders defiantly. "Whatever. I don't see how these teeny-weeny things can be of any use anyway."

Silaraas narrows her eyes and crosses her arms. In answer, she levitates the silver-gray Yirin's body.

Jeclisse blinks. "Oh." However, she does not apologize, only starts trotting ahead at a steady pace. "Just don't drop him," she calls back in an irritated tone.

Yellow Eyes sighs. "She's always like this."


	3. Chapter 3

**Zannlin**

I blink my eyes to clear my blurry vision. Yay for a new day!

And I gotta pee!

I scramble out of my bed of grass and outside the house, do my business, and then my stomach growls.

"Mum!" I call as I bounce back into the house. "Mum! Dad! Trossoc! I'm hungry! Wake up and smell the prey!"

Trossoc yawns and stretches. "Zann', shut up," he grumbles crossly.

Just to spite him, I sidle up to his grass bed and poke him. "Wakey wakey, lil' bro! Poke! Poke! Poke!"

In response, he just rolls over and flicks his short black tail at me. Hmph. What a lazypaws.

Mum and Dad emerge from their rooms. Dad rubs his pink eyes tiredly. "Morning, Zannlin."

"I'm HUNGRY," I complain. I point at the gem on my chest with a gray paw. "See this? It's yellow! I'm experiencing severe hunger! I'm gonna die!" I wail dramatically. What colour flashes actually mean is that we're feeling a ton of emotion. Close enough!

Trossoc mutters nonsense and scrambles to stand next to me. "How can anyone sleep with that racket? Can I have something to eat too?" Trossoc asks. Wow, he sure forgets quickly.

"Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Can I hunt? I'm old enough! I'm turning five soon! That's almost an adolescent!" I say, swishing my long gray tail.

Mum sighs and flicks her dark tail at me. "Alright, Zannlin. Now come along before you wake the whole of Ekcle."

Well, I can't imagine waking up the whole world, but whatever.

"Yay!" I cheer as I stroll along beside my family. "I get to hunt!" I stick out my tongue at Trossoc. "And you still have to wait till you grow up!" I say in a singsong voice.

Trossoc rolls his green eyes and looks at the scenery instead. I turn my head to look at what he's looking at.

Green, green, lots of green, BOOORIIING! I keep my gaze in front and pad along behind my parents.

After five minutes or so, we come to the hunting grounds. Funny, how it was founded. It's as if it was always there, teeming with little delicious creatures. I swipe my tongue across my muzzle. Breakfast is served!

Except there's one issue-the grounds are too crowded! Some prey are being fought over. I watch a Xanna snap at another one for scaring away the prey he was hunting. Some Xanna decide to come back later, and I watch them pad away.

Aww. What am I supposed to eat now?

My stomach growls again, and I paw the ground anxiously. At this rate, I'm gonna starve to death and I'll have to join the spirits early and I'm not even an adolescent yet and-

"I know! I know where we can get food!" Trossoc suddenly yelps in that high-pitched voice of his. He points his squarish muzzle to his right. "There's a jungle there! Maybe we can find some grass grazers!" Trossoc suggests.

Mum and Dad look at each other. "It's worth a try," Mum agrees, nodding her dark green head.

"YAAAAAYYY! I'm going to be an explorer! Trossoc, let's go! Race you there!" I call, and we race into the jungle.

We crash into the shaded place, panting heavily. I sit down and take in my new surroundings. These trees aren't any ordinary trees! They're so tall! I tilt my head back and stare upwards. Why are they so tall and stuff? Are they mutant plants or from some other region or-

"There!" Trossoc shoots past me in a flash of lilac-and-black. I didn't even have time to react.

How does he recover from that race that fast? Maybe his type of magic is casting buffs on himself, or he has super speed that he can activate at will. I wonder why he didn't tell anyone if so. Finding out what your powers are is a huge thing! And if he did, he's probably real smart. I don't even know what MY powers are yet, and I'm almost going to be an adolescent-sorry, I keep saying that, don't I?

Trossoc reappears, dragging along with him a creature with long floppy ears. "Look, sis! I caught it! I caught it!" he cheers. "Best day EVAR!"

I come closer and sniff at it. Hmmm, smells really fresh...

"Go on. You can eat it. Just not all of it! We must all celebrate my first catch!" Trossoc stares up at me triumphantly, his usually green gem flashing a bright red. "Which, might I add, I caught before you! You haven't caught anything in your life yet!"

"Um, I don't know...What is it?" I've never seen it before in my life. You know what that means? STRANGER DANGER! But for prey.

"Oh, stop being such a spoilsport," Trossoc retorts. "It's food, isn't it?" He crouches on the ground and takes a big bite of the creature. "Tastes slightly bitter, but it'll do," he remarks.

"Oh, it's bitter? Eeeeww! Gross!" I yell, and back away, straight into two furry bodies.

I look up. Mum and Dad! They don't look happy. Oops.

"What did I tell you two about just running off like that?" Mum demands, but her eyes widen when she notices the creature. "Did you kill that yourself, Zannlin?"

"Not her, me!" Trossoc boasts. "It was fast, and tried to lose me, but I sprinted and caught up to it in five seconds flat!"

Dad licks Trossoc's pointy ear proudly. "Well done!" he praises him. Mum takes a bite of what's left of the creature. Well, since Trossoc ate like half of it, that's a quarter each for Mum and Dad. I'm not eating that strange thing.

Dad notices my reluctance. "How 'bout I catch some other prey for you?" He finishes swallowing the creature's thigh, and walks away.

Woohoo! Finally, some actual food! I stand up and race along behind him. A wind blows toward me, buffeting my tail and scarf-slang for neck fur.

And the wind carries the scent of...water trotters! Ahead, Dad crouches down. I slink along until I'm next to him.

Aha! There it is! Look at how yummy and fat it is! It's standing next to a body of water. Do jungles have lakes or ponds? Is this even a jungle? Anyway, this isn't the time to think about that.

Dad prods me with an orange paw, and nods at the water trotter. 'Stalk,' he mouths at me.

I try sneaking up on it as silently as possible, but then BIG CLUMSY ME JUST HAD TO STEP ON A BRANCH, and it makes a huge crack.

The water trotter looks up from its intent fishing, opens its beak, and gives a loud call of alarm. It run-wades across the water, long legs causing the water to splash everywhere, including on me. Urgh. Why do they call water trotters that? They don't even walk on the water, just splash it and make everything else within a 500-mile radius wet!

I give my whole body a shake, also splashing water everywhere. Dad moves away before I can start a chain reaction.

"Bad luck," he says.

I wait for some other Xanna to burst out of the bushes, landing on the water trotter, but nothing happens. I'm starting to feel uneasy. Why are there no other Xanna here? Why did no one try to catch that water trotter? Where IS everyone?

"I think the hunting grounds are clear now. Maybe the prey will be...I don't know, stupider there?" I suggest. This place is giving me the creeps.

"Alright then. Let's go," Dad says, shrugging. He pads back to where Mum and Trossoc are. My shoulders are hunched, purplish-pink eyes wide. Something doesn't feel right.

Trossoc falls into step with me. "Zannlin's scared, Zannlin's scared!" he teases. "Scaredypaws!"

I don't say anything, since it's true. My brother notices this and nuzzles my right foreleg, the highest he can reach on those little legs. "Don't worry, I'll protect you!" he squeaks. "I'll always be here for you!"

My gem flashes a glaring yellow. And it stays that shade of yellow.


	4. Chapter 4

**Nallis**

"You should teleport this standing water. I can't, and it'll take too long to evaporate," Silaraas asserts. She still seems steamed about her encounter with Jeclisse, and her bright-coloured eyes look hard. Her pale apricot tail swishes back and forth.

I put one gray wing on her shoulder. "Hey, calm down. She's just grieving, that's all."

"I don't care! That isn't a legit reason to be so racist! Did you hear what she called us? Little things! Little things!" Silaraas rants.

"We are little things," I point out absent-mindedly. Is there anything absorbent around here? That water needs to be cleaned up immediately before those bloodsuckers can breed.

"I know," Silaraas sighs. "But that doesn't mean I want to be reminded about it. We're the smallest Ekclians, Nalls. Almost any other creature can just come along and stomp on us."

"Well, I bet before they did that, you would blast them with your exceptional offensive skills," I joke.

Silaraas smiles a devious grin and butts me with her light apricot head gently. "Well, I can't teleport like you can. So, about this standing water?"

"You can't just teleport it," I explain. "It's a liquid!"

"Hmm, got any other ideas, then?" Silaraas tilts her head to one side curiously. I raise my wings and flap them, rising into the air.

"I'll see if there's any Manghirani blooms!" I call back. "Those are really absorbent, and it's the right season for Manghirani to flower!" If we had some fabric, this job would be much easier.

Silaraas waves back, indicating that she heard me and understood.

I am not very sure that there are any Manghirani blooms nearby, but I scrutinize the land for any. This part of Yimori has been left untouched by the windstorm, except for a few bodies of water here and there. I hover for a few moments before reaching the conclusion that I have to fly low-I can spot a few patches of white down there.

I swoop down from the clouds, stopping above the fluffy white blooms. I wrap my gray arms around one and pull.

Nothing happens.

I grit my teeth and narrow my eyes, this time using the strength of my wings, flapping them frantically. Instead of the intended result, I manage to lift myself up high. Surprised, my wings stop working, and I crash and land in the grass-jungle.

Momentarily, I see stars, and I clutch my head for a while. Once it stops, I shake my head, multi-coloured locks flying, and rise into the air again, furrowing my eyebrows. Perhaps I should bite the stalks. Half of my teeth are flat, but I do have sharp canines.

I fasten my teeth along the same long stalk, chewing on it. However, all this does is puncture a few tiny holes in the stem.

Frowning in concentration, I pull on the stalks with my mind, but nothing happens no matter how much I twist and pull on them.

I stare at the Manghirani, feeling disheartened. I'm too small. My strength will not do any good here. What can I do? I tap my chin with my right paw repeatedly. The Yirin could easily slash the stalks with one swipe of their powerful forelegs, but I don't feel like troubling them, and besides, I would feel uncomfortable asking Yirin I do not know to help me. Aha, I've got the answer. Silaraas can conjure up a magic blade; I should report my findings to her. I would do it myself if I could, but my magic abilities are predominantly passive.

Sighing, I turn and launch myself in the air again, sharp eyes searching for Silaraas. I can't fly too high, or I will not be able to see her.

There she is, just a little dot against the grass. Landing next to her, I tuck my wings in. Silaraas gives me a curious look. "Find anything? If only we had some fabric," she laments.

I relate my discovery to her; Silaraas's eyes brighten. "Oh, great! I can cut those down, easy peasy."

We are off again, sailing through the clouds. Where was it again? Perhaps I am looking in the wrong direction.

An excited squeak from my sister jolts me out of my thoughts, and I feel a small breeze buffet my fur. Looking down, I spot her pale orange shape plummeting downwards at an alarming rate, falu red hair streaming out behind her. Then, she suddenly stops and raises her arms. Her eyes glow with an orange light.

I join her just in time to watch her wield her blade with accurate precision, and soon Manghirani stalks are scattered all over the grass.

"Good afternoon," a voice cuts in. I glance up, and Silaraas scowls. Jeclisse is flanked by her mother, who is giving her a stern glare. Yellow Eyes pushes her in front slightly.

"I think Jeclisse here has something to say," she continues.

Jeclisse blinks, flicking her ear. "Um, hey. Just wanted to come over and say sorry. I was being a total asshole."

I glance over at Silaraas. Her face is carefully blank, yellow-and-amber eyes devoid of emotion. Trying to make up for her lack of response, I respond, "It's alright. You were grieving, after all. You didn't know what you were saying."

Jeclisse blinks. "Well, you guys may be small, but you're determined. I saw you pulling on the stalks just now. You didn't give up until after you tried everything. I didn't say anything since I had to wait for you to get her." She nods at Silaraas.

"I...oh." I look down and pull my wings in tight, trying to seem smaller. Silaraas nuzzles me comfortingly. She knows I do not like being the centre of attention.  
Yellow Eyes nods in satisfaction. "Very good, Jeclisse."

Jeclisse shuffles her paws. It seems as though she isn't used to admitting her mistakes. "Um, need help?" she asks awkwardly.

Silaraas studies her for some time, before replying, "Yes." What a surprise! Ordinarily, Silaraas would just remind the offender that she can levitate in a testy way.  
Jeclisse looks relieved. She picks up most of the blooms in her jaw, while Silaraas and I manage the rest. Yellow Eyes looks at Jeclisse approvingly, silently allowing her to go with us.

Silaraas is silent on the flight back. Once we land near the puddle, she flings her blooms into the puddle. Each of them start to glow with an orange aura-Silaraas is controlling them with her mind.

"So, are you really sorry?" she asks Jeclisse casually. Jeclisse is moving around the blooms with her wet paws. From her disgusted expression, I don't think that she will volunteer again anytime soon.

"Well, yeah," Jeclisse says, still concentrating on soaking up the water. The puddle is almost gone, thanks to evaporation and the Manghirani. The water cycle nowadays is-for lack of a better word-messed up. That is the reason for the windstorm that devastated Yimori.

"Look, if I say I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I can be an ass sometimes, but I mean it," Jeclisse continues, looking up now. The wet Manghirani now lay in a pile close to her dark pink paws. She pauses. "Plus, I've always wanted to levitate. It would make things so much easier."

Silaraas gives the Yirin a long, measured look. "Apology accepted."


	5. Chapter 5

**Zannlin**

On the way back, Trossoc begins to stumble a little.

“Mum?” he calls. “I'm tired. Can I ride on your back?”

“Sure,” she answers, and Trossoc hops onto her back gratefully. She herself seems tired too, though, judging by her droopy white ears and and slow walking.

Why are they all so tired? Did they sleep THAT late? Maybe I shouldn't have woken them up...

I heave a sigh of relief. That creepy forest or jungle or whatever is left behind now. I should go try for some prey in the _normal_ hunting grounds.

I pad towards it and sniff around. Seems like most of the other Xanna have caught something and left. Great! There’ll be less competition!

Aha! Looks like there's still some prey that hasn't been scared off by anyone else. Strange, why they aren't scared. They just had their friends and family killed and they don't seem alarmed. They just keep coming and coming and coming and they’re just BEGGING to be killed.

I look around hopefully. Any grass grazers around? They're my favourite food!

Yes! Found some! I sneak up on the herd quietly like how Dad showed me to, and then I pause within pouncing range.

What am I supposed to do again? I look back at Dad, who gives me a weak smile, showing off his sharp teeth. Is he telling me to work it out myself or bite the grass grazers? Well, I guess I have to try.

“AHH!” I yelp, making the herd panic. They scatter in all directions and I go chase one. I end up wrestling with it—it's as big as I am!

I try to pin it down, but I'm too light. It gets up and runs away in a panic. I stare after it in frustration. Stupid wooly things! Be caught! Why won’t you be caught? My stomach growls again, and I sigh.

I look back at my family again, expecting Trossoc to be sticking his tongue out at me, saying that I should have eaten his catch.. Surprise, surprise, he’s only watching me through half-closed eyes. That isn’t Trossoc! That’s probably some other Xanna! Maybe the real Trossoc is still in that creepy planty place and—

“What?” the young Xanna demands. “Quit staring at me!” He then proceeds to continue staring at the grass. Wow, he sure likes greenery a whole lot. Maybe it’s because it’s the colour of his eyes.

Rolling my eyes, I turn around. That’s my pother, alright. Any other prey? I can’t catch a grass grazer yet, so goodbye, favourite food. Maybe I should try for something...smaller. Like that Peckerlecker over there.

Ooh, look at you, blue body and wings. You look so tasty and—

“Squawk!”

Another Xanna leaps onto the Peckerlecker and kills it in one bite. She looks over and spots me still in my stalking position, and blinks her purple eyes apologetically. Well, at least she’s nice. And wow! She’s so fast and swift and stuff! and she’s even better than my parents! I want to be that good of a hunter!

“Daaadd!” I call, bouncing back to where my lazy family is. There they are, still resting. “I can’t catch anything and I’m so useless right now! Help!”

“Maybe later, Zannlin,” he mumbles. His head is resting on his paws and he looks really really really really tired. Yeah, maybe some rest will do him good. But in the meantime, I still need to eat!

I know! I’ll go ask that supercool Xanna! I race over to where I last saw her, then sit down and start looking around. Hmmm, she’s nowhere in sight. Again, she’s real fast!

Oh yes, silly! You can track her scent. I sniff hard. It’s no use. All of these Xanna smells are overwhelming and I can’t tell them apart. Hmmm... I wander around. Maybe there are some other tutors here too?

Hey, look, it’s another Xanna, and he’s carrying prey. I race over to him. “Hi, Mister! Can you teach me to hunt, please please please please?”

He pauses, then digs a hole to bury his prey. Turning to me, he narrows his pown eyes. “Where are your parents? Isn’t that their duty?”

“Well, they would teach me if they could, but they’re too tired and stuff. Can you?” I look up at the big red Xanna and try to look as innocent as possible. Tilting my head to the right, I enlarge my eyes and smile.

Big Red Xanna continues to look at me skeptically for a few more seconds before nodding. “Well, alright, then.”

I jump up and down. “Yay! Thank you, kind sir!” When he gives me a look, I stop jumping and crouch down. “Er, I mean, thank you, sir,” I say meekly in a quieter voice. What is he so concerned about anyway? That the prey will be scared off because of sound? Is that even possible? Well, it seemed to be possible in the jungle, but here, there’s never such a case.

“Follow my lead,” he says, before padding away. Unsure of what to do, I pad along behind him. When he pounces, should I?

Big Red Xanna stops and I almost crash into his butt and tail. Okay, fine, I’ll walk around you. After going beside him, he flicks his ear. “See those grass grazers?”

Oh look, they’re the same ones I tried to hunt. I race towards them, but then I feel strong jaws pulling on my long dark tail and holding me back. Sitting down again, Big Red Xanna gives a long sigh. “Don’t just go running off like that! Wait! No wonder your parents are tired!”

Okay, okay. I prick my ears up and try to look obedient. Big Red Xanna looks satisfied. “Alright. Now, for grass grazers, you have to stalk, then pounce. Hide amongst the grass. For those birds, same thing, except you have to leap up high, unless they’re water trotters, then just leap far. They’re fast. Got it?”

Yep. I nod furiously.

“Great! Now practise and don’t bother me anymore!” he strides off, to fetch his prey, maybe?

Well, he didn’t show me how to do it, but at least I know how now. Where’s my family? I should tell them.

“Mum! Dad! Trossoc!” I call, racing along until they come into sight. I walk over to them and prod them. “Hey, guess what? I know how to—”

“Zannlin?” I freeze. Dad sounds more tired, almost...weak. “That's great...Is it fine if you hunt by yourself? I...I don’t feel well…” He buries his head in his paws and wraps his tail around himself.

“Hi, Zann—” Trossoc is cut off by the sound of liquid splattering on the grass. I turn and face him in horror and disgust. He vomited! Ew!

What’s even worse is that he looks not just tired now, but SICKLY. Really, really sick. Mum and Dad don’t look any better. How could I have not noticed this until now? I was too occupied with my own needs…

Oh, no. Oh no no no no no no.

Tilting my head back, I let out an alarmed howl. “Somebody, anybody, HELP!”


	6. Chapter 6

**Jeclisse**

“We are gathered here to witness the burial of our fellow Yirin who have passed on to the next life,” recites the elderly Yirin chosen to lead the funeral ceremony. He’s so old that patches of fur are falling out, and he’s almost featherless, except for a few ginger feathers. Trying not to look at those hideous wing bones, I sneak a glance at Mother, who’s silent. Her head droops.

The Pintor, who are huddled together in a group nearby, also look sympathetic. Together, they all look like a ball of fluff of all colours.

I catch Nallis glancing sidelong at me sadly, and with sympathy, while Silaraas just holds my gaze for a second and then looks at the grass. Okay, I still feel awkward around each her. Even though I apologised, she still doesn’t seem too impressed with me. She only says the minimum number of words necessary to me.

Hang on a sec, how do I even know their names? Guess someone must have told me, ‘cause I don’t think they ever did. Huh. Jeez, I'm really forgetful like that.

Looks like they’re burying the remaining Yirin. A team lifts a corpse onto their shoulders, then starts digging a hole.

I gave Dad his own grave. He ought to be buried by his own family. Of course, after that, Mum just had to get an attitude about the whole Nallis and Silaraas issue. I bet Dad was rolling his eyes or something as a spirit.

Okay, okay, fine, I made a bad first impression, but still, but did she have to make a huge fuss? I would have said sorry anyway.

I don't think Silaraas and I can be friends for now, but Nallis seems to understand. He's much nicer than his sister.

Actually, now that I think about it, she's a lot like me, if not more arrogant. She only got convinced I was actually sorry after saying I envied the powers she had. What a joke.

The team I'm watching finishes digging the huge hole and lowers the corpse into it, then starts piling dirt back to fill the hole up. The other teams do the same. Once they're done—this takes a few minutes—they bow their heads.

“Spirits, please guide these Yirin to your ranks...”

Tuning that old Yirin out now. How boring. Not saying that I don’t care about the dead, but the ceremony is just a lot of words. If I were a spirit, I’d show up personally, comfort the Yirin who are sad about my death, and tell them to throw an awesome party. After all, if you’re always sad if you think about me, please don’t. I’m not heartless, and I don’t like to watch your pain.

I shift my paws, thumping one hind paw on the ground slowly.

These Yirin didn't have to die, either. It's all because of those damn Elements. And the more I think about it, the madder I am. Dad shouldn't have died! We shouldn't need to have troubled those Pintor with cleanup duties! I know they came by themselves, because they're “allies with us”, but I'm pretty sure that some have better things to do.

If this goes on, Yimori will probably be wiped out! Bad luck that we're so close to the Byadau Sea, and so we're vulnerable to repeated windstorms.

We need to get the Elements back. What's the point of dealing with all the destruction when we should take out the cause of the destruction?

Hey. Wait. Is the ceremony over? Crap, I was too lost in my thoughts. Yirin and Pintor are moving or flying away. They all seem in no hurry, though.

“Mother,” I say urgently, falling into step beside her. “We need to get the Elements back. It's the only way.”

“I know, dear,” she says tiredly. “But what can we do? They've been missing for a long time, even before those immortal Pintor were born.”

“But more Ekclians will die!”

“There's nothing we can do, Jeclisse. Unless you plan on journeying all over Ekcle to find them, which I know very well you don’t have the patience to,” Mother sighs.

I pause.

Yes.

Yes, that's what I'll do.

I look at Mother and nod solemnly.

“I need to find the Elements. Even if I spend my whole life trying,” I say. When Mother looks at me in disbelief, I narrow my eyes in determination. “Look, let me prove it to you. I _can_ do it, and I _will_ do it. I will travel to the ends of Ekcle. I will not give up halfway. This is very, very important,” I stress. It’s so important that I’m not even using contractions. _Emphasis._

“I’m not letting you, a mere adolescent, wander around the Yimori Plains and beyond! The creatures there are really hostile!” Mother growls.

“I’ve been training for most of my fifty four years,” I object. “I expect I’d know how to fend off scary things that go bump in the dark!”

“You still have combat school,” she argues, but I shake my head. “I’ll learn better if I actually go outside and practise the moves I learnt. I know there’re all kinds of aggressive creatures out there, but I’ll manage. School’s out, anyway. The windstorm reduced it to a pile of bricks, just like some other homes.”

Mother regards me with golden eyes. “Okay…” Then she lowers her dark pink head and rests it on top of mine.

“Just be careful, alright?” she whispers. “I don’t want to lose my daughter as well as my mate. Not so soon.”

My chest tightens; of course, we’ve just lost Father. Of course she wouldn’t want her daughter gallivanting off on wild adventures right about now. But I have to do this, or Ekcle will just become littered with carcasses. All of us Ekclians may have survived this long, but we might not survive forever.

I put a wing on Mother’s back. Mother steps back, and I look her in the eye. “I’ll be careful,” I promise. “I won’t have to join the spirits early. I’ll return.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Zannlin**

I'm in a big, bustling city, far away from my home, but I'm not in the mood to sightsee. I stumble around as if in a daze, blindly following the group of Xanna galloping in front of me with my family members laid out on their strong backs.

Please let them be okay, please let them be okay, please let them be okay, pleaseletthembeokayplease...

We’re in the modern city of Jarinn, and the medical care is top notch here, apparently. Luckily it wasn't far from my village, so there's still hope. Big Red Xanna had heard my plea, and surprisingly - he’s a doctor. When he examined Trossoc, his fur went stiff as he barked out orders to the curious onlookers that had began to gather.

“We need to get them to a hospital immediately! You two!” He pointed at a group of big bulky Xanna that immediately flinched. “Carry them, now!” With that, he bit Dad’s scruff and hauled him over his shoulder.

I shake my head to clear the memories as a nurse Xanna steps out of the room. “Zannlin?”

I scramble to my paws. “That’s me. Are they okay?”

The nurse Xanna doesn't meet my eyes, then says faintly, “No.”

No? NO? But why? This can't be happening...

Do I want to know why they're sick? Illness is scary. But I pace myself and ask anyway. “What happened to them?”

The nurse looks grave, and her black eyes look at me seriously. “They swallowed leaper poison.”

Leaper? What's a leap—oh. OH. Oh no. I gulp. “It wouldn't happen to be a floppy eared creature with tan fur found in the jungle?”

The nurse nods, still trying to peak the news to me gently, but it’s not making it any less hard to take.

“You didn't eat any, did you?” she worries. When I shake my head, she sighs in relief.

“Could I ask why your family went into the jungle? Don't they know leapers are poisonous?” she asks gently, resting her blue paw on my shoulder. I sniff and shake my head again. My eyes tear up.

“The most we can do for your family is make their suffering easier,” says the nurse sadly. “We can't do anything for them. Leaper poison is lethal.”

Nothing?

Mum, Dad, Trossoc...They're all gonna die? I'll be...alone? All alone?

My legs give out and I half fall, half sit on the ground. Maybe I should've eaten that leaper—then we would all be together in suffering and death, but at least we would still be a family, and a family of spirits.

I sniffle. “Can I see them?”

The nurse opens the wooden door to let me in, and inside is my family lying on a grass bed, much larger than the one at home. Some herbs lay nearby.

They're sleeping. I know I should let them rest, but it's hard not to try to wake them up when it might be the last time I ever hear their voice again, or every peath might be their last.

I snuggle next to their warm bodies for a moment, closing my eyes. This might be the last time I share their warmth. But this is ruined by their scents. Their scents are mingled with the same reek of sick prey.

If Mum wasn’t sick now…she would wrap her tail and body around me. Dad would lick my ears and mutter comforting stuff to me, and even Trossoc would nuzzle me and give me a look of sympathy. But no, now they’re gone. They’re…gone…

“Th-thanks, nurse. I know you tried...” I whimper, ears down. My gem starts to glow a dull yellow. Then, I hear, “Wait.”

I prick one ear up and look at her. I'm listening.

“Legend says there's a place called the Rain Cavern,” she continues. “The plants that grow in there can heal any poisoning.” She shifts her paws. “It's only a legend, but do you think it's worth trying? No Xanna can confirm it, since it's been millenniums since any Xanna ate a leaper. I'm quite surprised your parents didn't know not to.”

Rain Cavern? What? There's hope? I pighten up, smiling widely and perking up my ears. My gem shines pight yellow. There’s hope! Hooray!

“Where's it at? I have to get those plants ASAP,” I plead, eyes wide.

The nurse raises a green paw to her chin, thinking. “It's rumoured to be near Yimori.”

“Great! Thanks!” And I’m off, skidding along the long corridors and almost crashing into some other caretakers along the way. “Woah! Watch out!” some call after me, while others give me an annoyed glance.

“Wait! Zannlin!” The nurse calls after me in a concerned voice, running after me. “But that's halfway across Ekcle from Xrin! You sure you wanna go? All alone? You're still a kid!”

“I have to! And I'm almost an adolescent! I’m not just a kid anymore!” I call back. Skidding outside of the hospital, I pause to face the dramatically positioned sunset. I raise a paw toward it, like I can almost touch the sun. “Tell me which way Yimori is! My family depends on me now!”


	8. Chapter 8

**Jeclisse**

“So, you’re really going, huh?” Clunmir asks. She came over to my house—which surprisingly didn’t topple over like I suspected it did—to encourage me, and now she looks at me with awe in those light gray eyes. She’s probably thinking about how pave and stupid I am for just randomly announcing to Mother that I’m going off on a quest for spirits know how long.

“I thought I made that clear,” I say, pacing the ground. I sound more confident than I feel. My emotions are…conflicted, to say the least. Anxious to get going, fear that I’ll die, or fail, or worse, and sadness that I’m leaving my fellow Yirin. I thought the only reason I was still in Yimori was that Mother forced me to eat something, but actually, I’m apprehensive. I’m going. I’m really going.

“Would you come with me?” I ask Clunmir. I want someone else on this journey with me, who will also know the hardships we will face and pull each other through them. But naturally, Clunmir shakes her head no.

“Sorry, Jeclisse, but those monsters out there are horrible! They’ll kill you, and eat you, and…” she doesn’t dare to go on. Her eyes are wide, ears alert, as though she expects those monsters to suddenly appear and drag her off somewhere to brutally maul her.

I shake my head. “It’s okay. I couldn’t force you to go. I know what I’m doing’s dangerous.” I nuzzle her shoulder. “Take care of Mother, will you?”

Clunmir flushes and trains her eyes on the pavement of my house. She rubs her right forepaw against her left foreleg. “I-I, um, sure, Jeclisse.” Then, she looks up at me with an intense gaze. Wow, she’s really serious. For some time, there’s silence, until Clunmir seems to snap out of a trance. “I’ll really miss you,” she finally says. She was probably remembering the fifty-four years we spent together with Krinkaw in school. “Yimori just won’t be the same without you.”

I smile sadly. “You’re my only best friend, Clunmir, now that Krinkaw’s dead. I wish you’d come along with me, maybe to help, um, avenge his death or something, but I know you wouldn’t feel safe.”

“Um. Yeah. Okay.” She sounds really sad that I’m going. I bid goodbye to her, but when she sees me going out the front door, she springs to her paws and insists on following me, at least until the territory of Yimori ends.

Before I stride out the door, I take one last sweeping glance at my home’s interior, taking it all in again. Since we usually have activities outside, the house only contains a wooden storage box with gold inside, plus three hard wooden beds, one now unneeded. They’re bedded with grass, so when I curl up, it doesn’t hurt as much. The house is made of—surprise, surprise—wood. Yimori has a ton of trees that can simply be kicked over by Yirin, then sawed into pieces with battle moves. Wood is Yimori’s main export.

I heave a sigh, then trot outside, into the garden. Our house was spared, aside from the wetness—that’s going to be a problem, the wood will rot and Mother will have to rebuild it by herself since I’m not around—but the garden is littered with seaweed. We grow some plants for extra gold. Mother is gathering the watery strips in her jaws and depositing them at a corner. When she spots me and Clunmir, she walks over. “Hello, Clunmir. Thank you for your support,” Mother says politely. Clunmir bows her head. “Good day, ma’am.”

“Let’s go, Mother.” I couldn’t persuade her to not come along with me. I had told her that I wasn’t a little Yirin anymore, but she insisted, and if I’m honest with myself, I do want her to come, and say that there really isn’t any danger in going to find the missing Elements scattered all around Ekcle and I definitely won’t die, or fail, and it’s going to be easy and I’m going to return a heroine. No sweat.

Of course, the reality is much more different.

Clunmir and Mother accompany me to the border of the Yimori plains, which is just behind my house. When we reach, they exchange glances. Then, Mother steps forward to rest her head on mine again. “Bye, Mother,” I say, then we both step back. I turn to Clunmir, smiling again sadly. “Bye, Clunmir.”

“Bye, Jeclisse,” she whispers softly. “You’re really pave, going off on your own like that.”

I feel my already pink face redden. I'm not the heroine she thinks I am. “I’m scared, too,” I admit out loud.

Clunmir nuzzles my neck. “It’ll be fine,” she promises. But both she and I know that I don’t believe her, and my pain’s too jumbled right now to think. Where should I go? Just go hunting around the entire world for Elements which I don’t even know the appearance of? How will I do that? Nonetheless, her words offer just the tiniest comfort for me.

Mother places her wing over Clunmir’s shoulder. “Goodbye,” they repeat. Then, they both turn and walk away slowly, glancing over their bony shoulders. I stare after them until they disappear into my house, presumably to do more repair work.

I sigh and trot along. First things first, I need to find a place to camp out, someplace away from the scary monsters or whatever, where they can’t find me.

Suddenly, I feel a little fluffball zoom past me. I start, every sense on the alert. Then, I relax.

It’s just Nallis.

“Um, sorry. Did I startle you?” Nallis lands on the ground, obviously feeling like I’m judging him. He grins sheepishly and tries to flatten himself against the ground, hoping I won’t see him.

I frown. “Yes. What was that for?”

“I was wondering, ah, if…if…you would have me as a comrade?”

I sigh. I can barely hear him. “Spit it out, Nallis.” When I notice he looks even more unsure of himself, I soften my expression and try to make my voice sound soothing. “It’s okay. What do you want to tell me?”

Apparently, this works, because what he’s saying now becomes audible. “May I…may I join you?”

“You want to come along?”

“Yes, I mean, if you approve,” Nallis says uncertainly as his voice drops several decibels, now becoming very interested in looking right at my paws.

Well, I have no idea what he said after the first word, but this is great! I have a partner now! I won’t be alone anymore! And I won’t end up insane talking to dead monsters or something due to lack of socialisation. “That’s great, Nallis!” I exclaim. “What made you decide to join Team Jeclisse, eh?”

“Um, well, I wanted to see the world,” Nallis explains, looking more comfortable now that I’ve apparently stopped judging him. “And I’m a leafbundle, so I, er, feel the call of the wild too.”

Leafbundle? What’s a leafbundle? But before I can ask any more questions, he suggests, “May we stop at Pinfre first? There’s family I want to bid adieu to, and the library there houses a true treasure trove of information.”

What did he even say? Well, if he wants to stop at Pinfre, I can understand.

“Let’s go,” I told him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Jeclisse**

Let me just say that walking in Pinfre is like walking in rainbows.

Pinfre’s inhabitants are just _that_ colourful.

I stare at the ground, watching where I put my paws and trying not to crush the Pintor, who are also all desperately trying to avoid me, causing a lot of confusion. Eventually, even though my wings are tired, I give up and just hover above the town, which comes up to about my shoulders. I feel heavy and clunky compared to them, with their quick and lithe movements due to their size. Many of them take flight and zoom away, others just run for their lives.

I know how fast they can fly. I thought my speed was virtually unmatched—I was the best in combat school—but even tiny, quiet Nallis who obviously prefers not to fly if he can help it blows me out of the water.

He didn’t join his patrol on the way back since he wanted to find me, and he wanted to catch up to Silaraas and his parents. But he had to keep turning back for me, and after that he just flew at a slower speed. Maybe he realised he was making me feel a mixture of guilty and inferior.

From my vantage point, I spot Nallis as a little gray dot making his way to a building, which in Yimori, would just be a model. Thankfully, the area behind that is just a grassy area, so I land on that and rest.

From here, I can hear a discussion going on.

“Nallis, are you sure? Last I checked, you aren’t exactly fighting material.” A concerned female voice that doesn’t belong to Silaraas. Nallis’s mother.

“Don’t be reckless, now,” a male voice adds. Nallis’s father. “Don’t go around thinking that just because you’re immortal, you’re invincible.”

There’s silence. Nallis probably doesn’t know how to defend himself, or to fight back in general.

“Mother, Father, do you really think that that’s what Nallis thinks?” I give a start. It’s Silaraas. Maybe she just walked into whatever room they’re in. What kind of room are they in anyway, that makes it so easy for me to eavesdrop? Or maybe Yirin ears are more sensitive than Pintor ears, what with them always being folded, and Pinfre just doesn’t get many Yirin visitors which nobody wants knowing their private business. It doesn’t seem likely though, as there’s at least one Yirin landing area—the grass patch I’m lying on.

Inside the house, Silaraas continues. “He’s the most careful Ekclian I know. He’s the last Pintor I’d expect to be described as reckless. Besides, he has Jeclisse with him. She can see his strengths and weaknesses, and I’d expect she would cover for him. Maybe he’ll find even more plants to help in healing and finally satisfy that fetish of his. Besides, he’s an adult. Do you think it would be reasonable to still treat him like a little Pintor?”

Oh my gosh, is Silaraas of all Pintor helping me out? Note to self: thank her later. Or maybe I shouldn’t do that, what with my eavesdropping and all.

There’s a pause, then Nallis’s father says thoughtfully, “That’s true. Yirin are rather valuable allies with strong defenses. Maybe your idea isn’t as ludicrous as I thought it was. Very well, Nallis. Safe travels. May the spirits guide you.”

“Thank you, Father.” Finally, Nallis speaks. There is whispered goodbyes, and I know they’ll be coming out any second. When Nallis comes trotting outside, I try to make it look like I’ve just landed. “So, what happened?” I ask him.

Nallis smiles and nods. The rest of his family exit through their door and try to get a good look at me. Silaraas winks at me, the friendliest gesture she has ever shown to me. Her mother still looks concerned, and begs me to take care of him. Her mate nods, as if approving his son’s choice of an ally.

“Um, thank you?” I say, not quite sure how to react. Silaraas waves goodbye to Nallis, then flies off somewhere. Maybe she has work. Nallis’s father drapes a cerulean wing over his mate’s shoulder, gives his son a long look, then says, “Good luck.” Then, his parents both walk back into the house, leaving me and Nallis alone.

Nallis seems sad, and I try to distract him by asking, “So, where’s the library you mentioned?”

Five seconds later, I’m following Nallis through the sky. My wings feel better now, and apparently this is the fastest way to get there. What does he hope to find in the library, anyway?

“Oh yeah, I've been meaning to ask - What’s a leafbundle?” I remark, startling myself. I have no idea where that came from.

He furrows his brow in thought before replying, “I was a leaf once.”

What? I’m so surprised that I forget to flap for a second before remembering when I feel the sudden drop in altitude. “What? How?”

“I was born from magic, Jeclisse. Pintor do not reproduce in your manner. Only the highest level Pintor can have children. Each parent channels some magic essence of themselves and turns an object from nature into a baby Pintor, which is then officially regarded as their offspring. That is powerful magic, giving something life.”

“And what leaf were you?”

“Asroloan. It has healing properties, and it will curl up when you touch the leaves,” Nallis explains. “All baby Pintor get their personality and magic type from the objects they once were. Stoneborns have a very strong magic attack, hardy and determined. Rootkins usually act as support with either water or air magic, and they like to collect things, although I like to collect plants, too. Leafbundles like me are the most varied, and depend on what type of leaf they once were.”

He looks down. “We’re at the library. You can’t go in, it’s too small. Wait right here, please.”

I was about to say ‘duh’—anyone knows I won't fit in there—before he dives down, creating a breeze that ruffles my pink fur.

To pass time, I observe the village below me. There are buildings scattered about, and I can hardly see the Pintor from my height. While Pintor are colourful, the brick houses aren’t, and they’re usually an earthy red or brown.

I was just mentally betting which of the two Pintor having a race nearby would win—I voted for the brown one with a black mane—when Nallis suddenly reappears next to me in a shower of gray sparks. He’s carrying a scroll. “This is a map of Ekcle. It could come in useful.”

I grin, showing sharp teeth which are still surprisingly white, considering my diet. "Great."

Are you there, Father?

I'm going to avenge your death. I won't let any more Ekclians die because of the Elements.


	10. Chapter 10

**Zannlin**

Maybe I should have thought this through.

For starters, running off into the Xrin wildlands without eating first _probaaablyyy_ wasn't very smart of me.

It's too late to go back now anyway. I've passed The Point of No Return and all the bushes and stuff look EXACTLY THE SAME to me.

Why don't I just follow my scent trail, you ask? Well, I have comperleetly NO IDEA what I smell like, since I can't pick up my own natural smell. I wonder what I smell like? My house? My family?

My family!

Oh, Zannlin, stop losing track of what's important. I have a mission!

Although, I really should catch something, anything! I'm a growing Xanna, and growing Xanna need to eat lots to grow up strong and healthy!

But first, what's that smell? It smells strange and I haven't scented that kind of thing before. Curious, I go to investigate, ignoring a colour flash. Not now, gem. I know I'm hungry.

It doesn't stop glowing a bright warning yellow, though. Am I really in danger of dying from hunger or something? Sure, I'm STARVING, but usually Xanna can last for a week on zero nutrients. Anyway, maybe this scent trail will lead me to food!

I was just about to pick up the scent trail when my stomach growls again. Eh, you know what? I have PLENTY of time to be hunting right now.

Getting into a good ol’ crouch, I sniff around for traces of prey. Ooh, I smell a grass grazer! They’re fat, stupid and meaty - perfect for my target practice!

I resist the urge to let out a loud yowl as I creep up stealthily as possible and pounce with sheer determination. I land on the square of its back, and with a clumsy (but lucky!) slash of my paws the grazer lets out one final yelp before collapsing.

I look over the fallen body, making sure to give thanks to the Xanna god, Meiso. My mouth waters as I get ready to savour my treat. I really love the flavour of grass grazers, it's so tender and juicy! You should try some.

Bending down, I'm about to dig in when that smell invades my nostrils in a VERY unwelcome manner. I gag and step back; I recognise it now. It smells...the same, but different. It's the same type of smell as that poisonous leaper my family ate. A bright yellow flash confirms it - I won't be eating lunch today.

I step back, horrified. My parents hadn't known leapers were poisonous, and last I checked grass grazers weren't, either. We’re a KINDA traditional village family and we stay far away from the modern town, so I'm throwing this out here, and it's really crazy: but could it be perhaps maybe possibly that a long time ago, leapers weren't poisonous? Could it be that whatever it is that infected the leapers is spreading to all the prey in our hunting grounds?

I look around to see if there are any Xanna around me, but nope; just me and the trees and leaves and bushes. This is bad. I'm sorry, Mom, Dad, Trossoc - I need to turn back to warn the townspeople, and also our neighbouring villagers. If all else fails, I'll make sure what happened to you won't happen to anyone else!

I wrinkle my nose as I bend down to lift the heavy grass grazer onto my small back. My gem keeps flashing, and I wish I could turn it off. I get it already, it's dangerous! Don't worry, me, I'll be careful. Without being able to sink my teeth in the meat, I take an embarrassingly long time to work out a way to heft it over my shoulder.

And after that, I'm having an even harder time walking. My tongue lolls out as I pant for breath, curled tail flicking. Oh my gosh, how much longer is it? I steel myself as I stand at the crossroads (okay, I might have lied about being the Point of no Return). Reading signs has never been my strong suit, but now I urge my brain to work.

Okay...to the left!

My legs trot towards the city. And this time, I'll _definitely_ get someone to send news to my village.


	11. Chapter 11

**Nallis**

The sun has begun to dip below the horizon, and Jeclisse has taken it upon herself to find shelter. I can easily sleep in a tree, what with the monsters always keeping to the ground, but I appreciate the thought anyway. I realise as I look around the plains that even the winged creatures usually are only a few inches above the ground. I wonder why; perhaps they're all acrophobic?

I'm shaken out of my musings by a high-pitched yelp from Jeclisse. “Over here! I've found a cave!” Ducking her head, she steps inside. Her bags rustle as she brushes against the cave entrance. It really is rather convenient that I am able to get my energy from the sun. I needn't carry such baggage with me. The smell of meat doesn't beckon me at all, but I try to keep my expression neutral as I land and trot into the cave with Jeclisse towering over me.

I can sense that her confidence is wavering as she sets about digging a comfy spot in the ground; poor lass. She’s so young, and yet I admire her bravery and courage in attempting what no Ekclian has dared to do for millenniums. Despite the fact she is so inexperienced, I feel like I can learn many things from her example.

“We’ll camp here for tonight,” Jeclisse asserts, and I don't bring up the way her voice shakes slightly. I smile and nod as I pause to flick my mane over my shoulder.

I must have mistaken the proceeding silence for a comfortable one, for barely seconds later Jeclisse coughs and tries to break the ice. “So...you didn't bring anything but the tiny map?”

I blink up at her as she adjusts herself to a more comfortable eye level. I’m barely as big as her snout, goodness. I realise she’s still waiting for a reply, so I quickly reply, “No?” I wince in my thoughts. Clearly, Jeclisse is not the only one unused to such interactions, but it doesn't matter. We have perhaps all eternity to make each other’s acquaintance.

Jeclisse cocks her head to the left. “No food?”

“Ah, that will not be a problem,” I smile faintly. “I gain my energy from the sun.”

“But, it’s setting,” Jeclisse protests as she points her snout outside.

“Do not fret, but I'm thankful you are so kind. I will not be hungry till tomorrow.” I fly and perch on top of Jeclisse’s bags. “Now you, on the other hand? These look heavy.”

Jeclisse’s lips peel back to reveal sharp canines, and I am briefly afraid that she will eat me. No, such killing of sentient beings is forbidden all across Ekcle. She’s a Yirin as well, she cannot help it, I remind myself as I will my fur to stand back down.

Jeclisse seems amused. “As I was saying, I practically have to eat my weight in meat every day, since adolescence is a pain in the ass. So, you're completely useless for my diet.” She pauses. “That was a joke.”

“Yes, it was,” I answer, chuckle briefly, and go back to fiddling with my mane. How long do we need to fraternise? I am in slight despair. It is truly no fault of the pink Yirin, but socialising has never been my forte.

“I’m - I am going to sleep,” I stutter. “Good night, Jeclisse. Early rise tomorrow!” With an apologetic wave I scurry off to a place in the cave where I will hopefully remain unseen. I feel slightly smug at my abilities to bid a hasty retreat. I really have no reason to be doing so; I should quit.

There’s some more rustling; a heavy sigh; and I turn to see that Jeclisse has turned her lanky body so she is reclining in the makeshift nest she has dug out. I return with a sigh of my own as I curl up in a small hole I find conveniently in the cave walls.

Off to a great start, of course.


End file.
